The Road to Hana

So, today was our journey to Hana. It was an all day adventure, with lots of twists and turns. It is a journey of trial and tribulation, too many tourists and people who like drive as if they're mad (as in crazy). Hana taught us both a few lessons, and the saying really rings true - it's all about the journey, not the destination.

It began here, in the town of Paia, which is a sweet little place with one stop light. 

Our first stop was the Garden of Eden. It is supposed to be one of Maui's most beautiful botanical gardens, and I'm sure it is. We took in a few sites there and moved onward. Here are some photos:

Here are a few roadside overlook photos of a little farm on the way:

And, suddenly, you look up, and you're halfway there. Of course, you need to celebrate by eating ice cream at the Halfway to Hana store:

We listened to a CD as we drove the road, and it was a helpful way to lead as we went...here's a random stop we didn't plan to make around mile marker 20:

My favorite stop was around Mile Markerr 21, Waikani Falls (3 Bears Falls). 

It was a rocky hike down, but we made it, and we got to swim in the falls. It was so much fun!

We liked these other falls on the way down...Lance tried to make them look like icicles with the camera. I think he did it:

We loved this spot...looking down into a waterfall. It was hard to get good photos, but I so wanted to find a way down to get into the beautiful blue pool:

The next stop was Wainanapanapa State Wayside Park. It was (yet another) extremely crowded stop, but the black sand beach and sea caves were pretty cool:

Next stop was Hamoa Beach, arguably one of the most beautiful beaches in Maui. It was a pleasant, tranquil spot along the journey. 

Wailua Falls is considered one of the most accessible falls along the road. It's a beauty, but hard to photograph in its entirety:

The Road to Hana is a winding one, full of discoveries...another memorable Hawaiian day.